Looking for a way to spice up your navigation menu design? After that first glance, users are bound to head to the navigation menu of a site, and if you’re lucky, they’ll come back to it again and again. Needless to say, this is a crucial spot for good-looking design.
One smart response to this fact is the vertical navigation menu. These days, the web offers a wealth of inspiring examples for this modern twist on traditional horizontal design. Though, some clients like to stick to the tried and true look of navigation across the top of the screen, others may be willing to go with the more unconventional top-to-bottom look. We’ve pulled together several of the more creative examples to motivate and inspire you to give it a go.
Creative Vertical Menu Showcase:-
Clearideaz
This is creative vertical navigation at its best. With an upper right and corner position, the menu is the perfect accent to a well-designed and lively site. The basket-weaving technique is authentic and appealing. Color choice is superb and the slight hover movement is the perfect understated touch.
R.I.P. Cube Club
This creative navigation menu puts an interesting twist on the special orientation of menu items, offering several different font directions for viewing pleasure. Positioned at the right side of the page, the menu’s design displays great color choice and fits well with the modern, urban vibe of the site.
SIMPLE LIFE
The SIMPLE LIFE navigation menu makes an elegant statement with minimal design. The typographic influence is high, with the large type making a bold statement. Hover contrasts give the menu a sense of motion and movement. Simple repetition of navigation elements on the right side in even bolder font leaves a classic and favorable first impression.
Huis Oranje
Here the clever design fits with the bed-and breakfast theme of this one-page site. The navigation menu is shaped like the door tags you’d find in elegant and classy hotels, and the icons offer great visual references for menu features. Hovering over each menu item creates a back light effect that’s both appealing and eye-catching.
Polargold
The polar gold site at first seems dark and gloomy, but interestingly enough it’s the creativity of the vertical navigation menu that saves the day here. A colorful light show animation takes center stage when users hover over each menu item. The bold, over-sized fonts make this navigation menu the star of the layout.
Notorious Design
Notorious Design has a very creative approach to navigation, combining both the vertical and the horizontal. While the main menu items positioned in the vertical system, submenu items branch out horizontally and become the header navigation for subsequent pages.
Mulletized
Vertical navigation menus can be just as simple and clean as their counterparts with no loss in functionality. Here, it takes on a sleek and elegant look and feel and blends well with the all-black background color. Positioning in the middle of the page is an excellent design choice since it delivers navigation without crowding the rest of the page.
